Residents got their first look at a proposed “bullet” train from Houston to Dallas that would take only 90 minutes. The meeting at NRG, the sixth in a series that began in Dallas the previous week, was an initial scoping meeting for the public to provide input for a draft environmental impact statement required by the National Environmental Policy Act. less

Residents got their first look at a proposed “bullet” train from Houston to Dallas that would take only 90 minutes. The meeting at NRG, the sixth in a series that began in Dallas the previous week, was an ... more

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Robert Eckels, former Harris County judge and CEO of Texas Central Railway, discusses the proposal with residents.

Robert Eckels, former Harris County judge and CEO of Texas Central Railway, discusses the proposal with residents.

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Capable of operating at speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour and moving passengers between Dallas and Houston in fewer than 90 minutes.

Capable of operating at speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour and moving passengers between Dallas and Houston in fewer than 90 minutes.

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Plentiful Wi-Fi and power outlets, so passengers can get down to business, read, enjoy a movie, talk or catch a quick nap. Fares will be highly competitive with the cost of commercial air service or travel by auto. less

Plentiful Wi-Fi and power outlets, so passengers can get down to business, read, enjoy a movie, talk or catch a quick nap. Fares will be highly competitive with the cost of commercial air service or travel by ... more

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High-speed railroad connecting Houston-Dallas proposed

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While officials working on a proposed high-speed railroad connecting Houston and Dallas touted the promise of a 90-minute trip between the state’s largest metropolitan regions, the reaction among attendees at a public “scoping meeting” last week was decidedly mixed.

Several people said they were excited about the prospect of hopping on a train to north Texas rather than going to the airport or even making the long trek by car, as well as its promised environmental benefits and reduction of congestion.

But many others spoke against the plan, including residents of rural areas between the two urban centers as well as people who live in neighborhoods where the railway’s Houston terminus could be located. There is a possibility that another station might be placed at a point between the two mega-cities, in the vicinity of Bryan-College Station.

About 200 people attended the Oct. 27 meeting at NRG Center, carefully scrutinizing several posters detailing the proposal and the process by which it would be put in place. The proposed $10 billion project is being privately funded through Texas Central Railway (TCR), without the use of taxpayer money.

TCR plans to use the N700 Takaido Shinkansen, the famous “bullet train” used in Japan, which can reach speeds up to 205 mph. It would be a “closed system,” meaning it would not interact with other transportation modes along the majority of its route.

The meeting at NRG, the sixth in a series that began in Dallas the previous week, was an initial scoping meeting for the public to provide input for a draft environmental impact statement required by the National Environmental Policy Act, explained Jamie Maughan of the Federal Railroad Administration, the agency that will issue a final ruling on whether the project can proceed. The FRA is partnering with TxDOT in working on the proposal.

Maughan said the TCR project is considered a good step in relieving the projected congestion between the two metropolitan regions as both roughly double their current populations - Dallas-Fort Worth at 12.6 million and Houston-Galveston at 12 million -- by 2015. Maughan said travel by car between the cities, which now takes about four hours, could go to 6.5 hours.

The consortium behind bringing high-speed rail to the U.S. for the first time looked at many different “city pairs” across the country and decided on Houston-Dallas because it is a through relatively flat and sparsely populated terrain that is ideal for achieving the necessary speeds, said Jerry Smiley of URS, the private consulting firm contracted to work on the scoping for the project.

“We’re very early in the process,” Smiley emphasized.

The draft EIS is expected to be released in 2015, which will be followed by another round of public comment periods before a final EIS is released the following year. If the project gets all the federal and state approvals, construction would begin in 2017, with operation projected to start in 2021.

TCR had already come up with nine alternative routes that could be used that would avoid intersecting with Interstate 45. Of those, Smiley said, the FRA is recommending two - the first, called BNSF Option 1, would be near the existing BSNF railroad; the second, called the Utility Alternative, would be near the high-tension power lines between the two metro areas.

But, Smiley said, those two alternatives are not the final word, and the agencies are actively seeking public comment.

They got plenty of it from several attendees.

Kyle Workman of Jarrett in Leon County voiced the sentiments of many rural-area residents who said the proposal was a potential land-grab by TCR. He said his property, which has been in his family for generations, would be “cut in half” by the railway.

“To us, this land is priceless. It’s not a money issue,” Workman said. He added that he had concerns about the wildlife that could be displaced by the railway.

His concerns were echoed by Susan Baerst of Waller County, who also said that she and her neighbors had been largely unaware of the proposal until just a few days before the meeting.

“We were railroaded in the process,” she said.

But others were more positive about the proposal. Bob Lilich, a retired rail consultant from Houston, said a high-speed railway had his “wholehearted support.” But he presented the officials a paper he authored on a way to connect the railway at the north side of Houston with commuter rail into downtown.

Under the initial plans presented, there are three large areas where the Houston terminus could be - just outside downtown near the First Ward neighborhood, near the 610 Loop and near Beltway 8.

Several residents of the rapidly evolving First Ward said they were concerned about how a high-speed train entering the area would impact the neighborhood, as well as what they said was the lack of outreach in advance of the meeting.

Tami Merrick, who is with the First Ward SuperNeighborhood, said she was “extremely disillusioned” by the public outreach. A high-speed train running through the First Ward would endanger its growing vitality as an arts district, she said.

Alexandra Orzeck, who lives in the Rice Military neighborhood, said she was “strongly opposed” to the Utility Alternative, the one that would go through that area of town. She was particularly concerned that TCR would use eminent domain to clear a path through the area.

But other Houston-area residents were more positive, including Robin Holzer, a longtime transportation activist and volunteer with the Citizens Transportation Commission.

“I would take high-speed rail to Dallas tomorrow” if she could, Holzer said. But she encouraged the officials to expand their outreach to all the stakeholders during the process.

Glenn Clark, a Houston resident and civil engineer, said people who oppose the project should look more to the “greater good” of a new transportation alternative that could reduce both congestion and pollution.